We owe a debt of gratitude
to Winthrop P. Bell, the author of the book, "Foreign
Protestants and the Settlement of Nova Scotia" [1961].
It is often difficult to learn about immigrant ancestors, trying
to discover when they came to America, what boat they travelled
on, and (most important to further research) where they came
from in the Old World. In the 1700's, the French presence in
Canada was already strong. But the British desired a strategic
port on the eastern seaboard, in competition with the French
presence, as well as the rich potential of the codfishing industry
there, and began settlement of Halifax and Nova Scotia. England
was unwilling to lose more citizens to the westward migration.
So the plan was formed to recruit "Foreign Protestants," largely
German-speaking Lutherans, to help settle the new land. Between
1751 and 1753, about 1500 immigrants were brought to Halifax,
most of them being taken to build the new settlement of Lunenburg
in 1754. Bell developed an interest in this group of "Foreign
Protestants," and began to compile research for a book
on the subject, to clarify misconceptions that had arisen over
the intervening years. That research makes available to us
detailed information on all the immigrants, gleaned from the
records of the day which would be unavailable to the general
public.
First Generation—
Johann Leonhardt Morasch, born ca. 1706, of Kleinheubach, a small village
on the Main River, southeast of the city of Frankfurt. Married Anna
Elisabetha, born ca. 1710. Anna Elizabeth married secondly (Feb.
10, 1739, in Kleinheubach), Johann Georg Haun, "Hans",
born ca. 1705. His father was Andres Haun, of Wildenstein.
I visited Kleinheubach in 1997, and found that the
current pastor of the Lutheran church had sent the church record
books to the regional archive in Regensburg (they have not
been filmed by the LDS church). There was no information about
the family I could learn there, but I was thrilled to see the
old church, still standing, that was built shortly before the
Morasch family left for Nova Scotia. For
photos and the story of our visit, click the button to the
left.
However, Richard Morash visited Kleinheubach sometime before
that. He was able to spend some time with the previous
pastor of the church, investigating the old church record
books to see what information there was about the Morasch
family. He recently shared this with me:
"He told me the most amazing tale. Johann Leonhardt Morasch was a
grenadier and belonged to the Emperior of Austria. The tale goes that
he was thought to have died in battle. His wife, Anna Elizabetha, assumed
she had become a widow and on Feb. 10,1739, married again to a Johann
Haun. There was a notice made (in the church records) in June of 1740 that
Johann Leonhardt Morasch showed up in the village to discover his wife
had remarried. Still belonging to the Emperor, he left the town with a
broken heart. There is a record of a Johannes Morasch that died in Hoechst
in the year 1808."
Together, Johann Georg Haun
and Anna Elizabetha brought the family to Halifax, Nova Scotia,
among the 2500 "Foreign Protestants" recruited by
the British. They were from Kleinheubach, and arrived in Halifax
on board the Murdoch in 1751. Most of the immigrants could
not afford passage to Halifax, so the British government extended
them credit for the voyage. The immigrants could work off their "indebtedness" by
working on public works in Halifax at a rate of 1 shilling
6 pence per day for laborers, or 2 shillings per day for a
tradesman. It is interesting that the Haun family paid their
own fares for the voyage! However, the sons Johannes and Johann
Michael both were indebted for one fare each, at a cost of £70,
17, 18. (There were 20 shillings to a British pound.)
Birthdates were from the
Kleinheubach church records, given to Richard Morash by the
pastor there:
1. John Michael Morasch,
"Michael," born 1728, in Germany; died Aug. 4, 1784, in Nova
Scotia; 56 years old. Married (March 11, 1752, in Halifax) Maria Elizabeth
Haasin (the feminine form of the German surname Haas), died Apr. 17, 1786.
2. Johann Nicolaus Morasch,
born April 22, 1730, in Kleinheubach; died Aug. 30, 1734, also in Kleinheubach;
four years old.
3. Johannes Georg Morasch,
born March 13, 1733, in Kleinheubach; died Dec. 12, 1820, in Cole Harbor,
NS; 87 years old. Married (July 20, 1756, in Lunenburg) Catherina Christina
Finck (acc. to Bell’s notes, although some sources give Zinck).
4. Susanna Catherine Morasch,
born Aug. 11, 1735, in Kleinheubach; died April 5, 1811, in Halifax,
NS; 76 years old. Married Johann Georg Jost. Neither she nor her sister
were mentioned on the ship’s passenger list. It may be that, because
they were under the age of 20, or because they were not heads of a family,
mention was not considered necessary.
5. Susanna Elizabeth Morasch,
born Feb. 12, 1737, in Kleinheubach. Married (March 30, 1755, in Lunenburg)
Johannes Seeburger, born 1722, from Württemburg. He came on board
the Pearl in 1751. His last name was originally Sohburger. Confirmed
in St. George’s Church on Oct. 4, 1761. All their children were
baptized in Lunenburg.
After Johannes’ death, she remarried (June 2, 1782) Johann Peter
Zinck, a widower. Peter was the son of Caspar and Anna Maria Zinck of
Kleinheubach. He came to NS with his parents on board the Murdoch in
1751.
•Children of John
George Haun and Anna Elizabeth: 1. Casper Haun,
born ca. 1743. Confirmed in St. George’s Church on Oct. 4, 1761.
Married (May 23, 1763, in Halifax) Sophia Smith, daughter of Johann Adam
and Cathrina Schmidt.
2. Maria Lisse Haun,
born ca. 1747; confirmed 1761, in Halifax.
Second
Generation— Susanna Catherine Morasch, born Aug. 11, 1735, in Kleinheubach; died
April 3, 1811, in Hailfax; 75 years old. Married (Dec. 17, 1754,
in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia) Johann Georg Jost, "George" born May 30, 1727, in Strasbourg;
died June 7, 1775, in Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; 48
years old. The Betty’s passenger list states that he was
an unmarried locksmith from Strasbourg. Kleinheubach is a small
village in Germany, on the south side of the Main river in Bavaria,
just southeast of Frankfurt. George and Susanna were buried together
in the cemetery of the Little Dutch Church in Halifax.
After George’s death, Susanna remarried (Sept. 8, 1776) Johann Caspar
Drilliot, "Caspar," born ca. 1726, in Switzerland, according
to the Speedwell’s passenger list. He arrived in Halifax in 1851.
He married first (April 9, 1752) Mary Schuffelburger. They had three
children before her death, sometime after 1762. Caspar and Susanna had
a daughter of their own, Catherine. Catherine married Nicholas LeCane.
The family name has been seen as Drillis, Drillio, Drilliot, and even
Trillian and Trilliot! His signature was awkward and uneducated, and
looks to be "Drilliot. It is unusual that Susanna was buried with
her first husband George, particularly since he died almost 30 years
before she did. Presumably Casper preceeded her in death, and was buried
with his first wife, leaving Susanna to be buried with George.
1. Rachel [or Regina] Elizabeth Jost,
"Elizabeth," born 1755, in Lunenburg, died Feb. 3, 1840, in Halifax;
84 years old. She was buried near her parents in the Little Dutch Church
cemetery. Married (July 31, 1776, in St. Paul’s Church in Halifax)
John David Longard, "David," born March 18, 1755 in Lunenburg.
He was a blacksmith, his parents were Ulrich and Marianna Anna Longard
(probably originally Lankert). Ulrich Lankert was a farmer from Switzerland,
and arrived in Halifax on board the Betty (with George Jost) in 1752. He
was apparently single at the time.
2. John Michael Jost,
baptized Sept. 18, 1757, in Lunenburg, NS. Died young. Buried in the
Little Dutch Church cemetery.
3. George Frederick Jost,
bapt. April 23, 1760, in Halifax (St. Paul’s Church). Married (Aug.
14, 1785, in Lunenburg) Maria Elizabeth Reichardt (Anna Elizabeth?).
Lived in Herring Cove, an area of Halifax, in 1792-3 as a "labourer."
4. Andrew Jost,
a twin, bapt. July 3, 1761, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). Probably died
young.
5. William Jost,
a twin, bapt. July 3, 1761, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). Probably died
young.
6.John Casper Jost,
born Sept. 11, 1763, in Halifax; died June 13, 1850, in Guysboro, NS;
86 years old. Bapt. Sept. 17, 1763, at St. Paul’s. Married (March
29, 1791, in Halifax) Mary Catherina Hirtle, born Aug. 5, 1770, in Halifax
(bapt. Aug. 26, 1770); died March 14, 1846, in Guysboro; 75 years old.
7. Jacob Jost,
bapt. Jan. 10, 1765, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). He possibly died young.
8. Catherine Barbara Jost,
"Barbara," bapt. Oct. 1, 1766, in Halifax (St. Paul’s);
died Nov. 9, 1864; about 98 years old. Married (April 3, 1787) Alexander
Moir, who was probably born in Scotland. Both were buried in the Camp Hill
Cemetery in Halifax. He was a blacksmith. Their sons started the Moir chocolate
factory in the early 1800’s. The company was purchased by the Hershey’s
company during the 1970’s.
9. Margaret (or Mary) Sophia Jost,
bapt. Feb. 16, 1768, in Halifax (St. Paul’s). She died young.
10. Mary Philipina Jost,
"Philipina," born 1769, in Halifax; died May 18, 1832, in Halifax;
63 years old. Married (Jan. 21, 1789, in the Little Dutch Church in Halifax)
William Jeremiah Vickers, "Jeremiah," born ca. 1762, in Halifax;
died June 13, 1826, in Halifax; 64 years old. A tinsmith. They had at least
8 children.
11. John Philip Jost,
born 1771, in Halifax; died Feb. 7, 1854, in Lunenburg; 83 years old
(82 years old, acc. to the Stayner Collection). Married (Oct. 25, 1796,
in Lunenburg, NS) Anna Gertrude Pentz (or Penn), born 1775, in Lunenburg,
died Oct. 10, 1858; 83 years ol (85, according to Stayner). Her father
was John Martin Penn. All their children were born in Lunenburg, where
Philip farmed.
12. George Henry Jost,
born or bapt. March 28, 1773, in Halifax; died Feb. 1, 1849; 75 years
old. He was a carpenter. Married (Sept. 29, 1801, in Halifax) Margery
Smith, born 1777; died Dec. 5, 1851, in Halifax; 74 years old. They were
buried in the Little Dutch church cemetery, near his parents. Their children
were all born in Halifax.
Sources:
Richard Morash
Allan G. Jost, Nova Scotia
Norman and Beth Jost, Codys, New Brunswick
Roland and Joyce Jost, Newfoundland The "Foreign Protestants" and the Settlement
of Nova Scotia, by Winthrop P. Bell, 1961.
Winthrop Bell’s Notes, available on microfilm #1421430 from Salt
Lake City, through local Family History Centers
The
Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His
deeds!
The Lord is near
to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth!
Psalm 145:17&18 (NASB)
I visited Kleinheubach in 1997, and found that the
current pastor of the Lutheran church had sent the church record
books to the regional archive in Regensburg (they have not
been filmed by the LDS church). There was no information about
the family I could learn there, but I was thrilled to see the
old church, still standing, that was built shortly before the
Morasch family left for Nova Scotia. 
